In His Sights
by Esthetique-of-Heaven
Summary: He wasn't staring. He was just looking at her. Yup just looking. And since when has it been a crime to look at your best friend for a long period of time


In his sights

He wasn't staring.

No not staring. Just looking.

Wait- looking and staring are the same thing aren't they. _Dammit_

Then he was observing.

Oh to hell with the vocabulary! He was staring. That's right ladies and gents;

Fairy Tail's number 1 overactive, loud, destructive, dragon slayer, Natsu Dragneel, was sitting quietly staring at a girl.

Who is the girl you ask?

Well none other than Fairy Tail's only celestial spirit mage: Lucy Heartfilia.

Yup, He Nastu Dragneel, was staring at her, Lucy Heartfilia.

But it's not weird to stare at your best friend is it? People always told him to sit back and enjoy the view once in a while. And he had to admit, the _view_ was great.

She was sitting on her usual spot at the bar clad in knee high brown boots, a tan, brown and white plaid skirt and a navy blue sweater with a deep v-line. Yea, Lucy was looking very fine to this dragon slayer's eyes.

Nothing was weird about him looking at her. He had always thought she was pretty, not like Mira and Erza though. Lucy had her own category of pretty, but she was still pretty.

Yet, recently she changed.

Now, as he stares at her, he never noticed how shiny her golden tresses cascaded down her back or the way her honey cocoa eyes seemed to sparkle. These things about her always seemed noticeable. Her eyes always drew him in, and her hair always gave him the urge to touch it. Yet now it seems these things are making it harder for him to concentrate. His concentration was so off that he didn't notice he was drawing the attention of a few other people in the guild. Namely his ice mage rival, Gray Fullbuster.

"Yo flame-brain, are trying to catch her on fire?"

Natsu briefly looked up at Gray then rolled his eyes, "shut it ice prick"

He stared at Lucy once again, watching the way she talked with Mira, Levy and Cana. He didn't even notice that when she smiled, so did he.

"That's creepy, even for you flame shit."

Choosing not to reply to Gray's taunting, Natsu plopped his head down and whined, "I don't understand, this makes no sense."

"With your tiny amount of brains, I doubt you would."

"Listen Ice- dick, if you can't help me out then shut the fuck up."

Gray was taken back from how Natsu sent him away without a fight. I was common knowledge that the dragon slayer couldn't pass up the opportunity to fight, especially if he's insulted. Gray was so confused over this that he almost didn't hear Natsu ask him "can you tell me when Lucy got so pretty?"

'Ah so that's what it is' Gray smirked " Well first things first, are you sure pretty is the word you want to use?"

Natsu whirled his head around and growled, "I don't know! Pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, stunning? I don't give a shit about the word! Just when has she been so…different."

Still smirking, Gray sat down diagonal to Natsu, with a view of both him and Lucy. He casually leaned his chin on his hand and started chuckling. "Flame shit, doesn't that mean you like her?"

This time Natsu shook his head and laughed, "what are you talking about? Of course I like Lucy. She's nakama. I just want to know why she looks different dumbass."

Gray rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, "you're the dumbass. I don't mean like as in a friend. I mean like as in love. You know, like Bisca and Alzack.

Natsu vigorously shook his head, "what are you talking about ice shit? I don't like Lucy like that."

Gray rolled his eyes at his frenemy; 'since when has anyone been this fucking stupid.' He leaned back again and then an idea popped in his head. "so you don't like Lucy like that, well what if she had a date?"

"What! She didn't tell me she had a date!" Natsu was just about to jump up but Gray grabbed him by his coat and tugged him back down in his seat.  
"Calm your balls, I said what if. If she had a date it wouldn't matter to you because you don't like her like that."

"She's my partner, and she has bad taste in guys. All of them are dicks. It's my job to make sure that she's with someone who cares about her and who'll protect her."

"Like you?"

"Yea…." Natsu quickly looked up and realized what he said. Thinking about it, Natsu realized that he always wanted Lucy to find someone who cared just as much as he did. He hated seeing her with any other male, especially those assholes she dated. He never realized it but deep in his heart, without his head knowing, he fell in love with Lucy.

**Normal POV**

"And so then I told the dude that if he wanted to touch then he had to at least buy me dinner first."

Levy, Mira, and Lucy were listening and laughing to another of Cana's stories. The three ladies were having a good time sharing stories and listening. Lucy was so intent on Cana's story that she didn't notice the intent stare of a certain dragon slayer. However, her more observant cohorts, Levy, Mira, and Cana, knew all too well of his intense gaze. Giving each slight glances and nods in approval. The three girls quickly decided that today those two would be together.

First up was Mira Jane. Nonchalantly cleaning a beer mug, she silently mused, "Hey girls, I have a question I've always wanted answered."

Lucy turned her attention towards Mira with full attention, while the other two feigned their innocence. Lucy tilted her head to the side and sweetly smiled towards Mira, "sure go ahead Mira."

The smile that overcame Mira's face was so sweet that it could be described as sickening. She placed the mug down, and leaned over towards the girls "I was wondering, if you could choose any of the guys in the guild, who would it be."

Levy and Cana shared Mira's knowing smile and looked towards Lucy who was turning an adorable, and familiar, shade of pink. She tried to recover and looked desperately towards her friends, "What do you mean, like for a mission or for handy work."

Cana rolled her eye in annoyance at her friend's confusion and ungracefully slammed her own barrel of liquor on the floor, "she means as a boyfriend or potential hot night. Come on Lucy, Levy's told me all about those steamy books you've been writing. I'm sure there's at least one guy here who fits your standards.

The sweet dust of pink that adorned Lucy's face turned to a violent red at Cana's remark.

Levy laughed and patted Lucy on the back sympathetically, "Lu-chan, I'm sorry, I didn't know she'd loud you out like that" she turned her attention towards Cana and sent her a look that said 'way too forceful'.

Mira, also irritated with the drunkard's slur, smiled at Cana "Well, not that I wanted to put it that way, but yes, as a boyfriend. Cana, how about you do the honors."

"Well seeing as you limited me to the guild, I would have to say…Laxus"

The immediate silence that filled the area caught the drunk off guard. Mira's eyebrow's threatened to catch in her hair while Levy and Lucy were doing a perfect rendition of carp.

Cana took another swig of her barrel, belched, and threw the girls a look. "What? You guys look like that surprised you."

Levy was the first to recover and yelled "What do you mean a surprise!? Of course we're surprised. I thought you'd say someone like Bixlow."

Cana rolled her eyes but just when she was about to reply Lucy intercepted her by saying " I have to admit Cana, that was a surprise. I can't say that it is not surprising to hear that from you. I didn't think he would be your type. I pictured you with someone like Gajeel or Freed."

At the mention of either the iron dragon slayer or the dark script mage together with Cana, Levy cringed and made a sour face while Mira's eyes hardened and the air in the area posed a. This did not go unnoticed by Cana who smirked at the two.

Cana waved her hand in front of her face and shot Levy and Mira a look, she smiled deviously at the petite girl then turned her attention towards the silver haired barmaid, "Now Mira," she reached over and pulled Levy towards her "with all those smarts you possess, it should be easy to tell that our dear Levy has the hots for that brute of a man, and Mira is head-over-heels for Freed"

The two girls laughed at Levy and Mira's tomato red faces. Pushing away from Cana in an angry huff, she turned towards the still laughing blonde and retorted "Well Lu-chan, since you find it so funny why don't you tell us who you would want to date."

Lucy quickly went ridged and pale. She ducked her head down and avoided the curious gaze of the girls. 'Maybe I should tell them' is what she thought. She looked up at their curious gazes.

"I-I like…" but before she could utter the last few words, a male voice cleared his throat behind her.

When she turned around she was appalled to see Natsu standing behind her. He face had a mix of curiosity and anger. 'why would he be angry' she thought.

**Natsu's POV**

He looked at the procession of girls in front of him. Sitting over at his table, the idea he came across didn't seem so bad. Now, here actually in front of them, the thought of doing what he was going to made him feel apprehensive.

Natsu wasn't one to feel fear, and the fact that his idea scared him was actually making him reconsider the whole thought.

'What if she says no, or she gets mad. I really don't want her to get mad at me over this. What if-'

"Natsu?"

The sudden voice jolted him out of his deep thoughts. He looked over towards Lucy and found her eyes filled with concern. Deep onyx met glowing cocoa, and in that moment, the two seemed to be the only ones in the room. Content with just staring in each other's eyes.

His apprehension and fear left him, and all that was replaced was love and affection.

'That's right. That's one of the reason that I love her.'

Natsu smiled his usual toothy grin towards Lucy and blurted out "Lucy, did you know I love you?"

If the silence in the vicinity of the girls wasn't deafening, then the silence in the whole guild was enough to hear an etherion cannon firing miles away. Then a collection of whisper shouts began to run thorough out the guild.

A chorus of "what", "Are you kidding me", and "finally" ran all through the guild. The three girls beside the blonde where especially shocked and pleased with this development.

Lucy, who sat silently the whole time, smiled at the pinkette and said "You know Natsu, I love you too?"


End file.
